The rise of Asia at Paris Fashion Week

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The stylish people among us will be wearing beige and brown clothes in Spring/Summer 2019 according to what the models have been strutting in at this season's Paris Fashion Week.

Yet there has been a more subtle trend at the prestigious event: the number of Asian designers that are here.

18 of the 78 runway shows are by clothes makers from the world's biggest continent. That's almost a quarter of the total.

Uma Wang is a designer based in Shanghai and has been coming to the French capital for over a decade.

Uma Wang's fashion show at Paris Fashion Week S/S2019 /CGTN Photo

"Paris is Paris. Paris is the place [that] really respects the talent. Also, all the industry, the media, the press, the everything, the buyer, everybody [is] here."

She is one of the growing number of designers who have a runway show in Paris.

"I think 23 percent of Asian designers showing at fashion week in Paris is a record," says fashion and luxury economy expert Franck Delpal.

He teaches students at the French Institute of Fashion and thinks Asian designers gain a lot from taking part in Paris Fashion Week.

Fashion designer Uma Wang /CGTN Photo

"It's a sign that these designers are more and more credible and gain visibility among the fashion economy... Today we can really say that there is a coolness more and more of many, many designers coming from Asia."

People from all over the world are buying clothes from Asian luxury designers but Franck thinks the growing buying power of the huge Asian market is the main reason why more designers are coming over.

"The weight of Asia in terms of population, in terms of economic power. So it's logic that we see today much more designers from Asia than in the past."

Fashion and luxury economy expert Franck Delpal /CGTN Photo‍

"The Asian market I think for everyone is very important […] because we are strong, especially the country, the economy, the people."

While the likes of fashion stalwarts such as Chanel, Christian Dior, and Louis Vuitton will always play a part in Paris Fashion Week, it's clear that there is now a growing number of Asian brands that will be showing alongside them.

These are the Asian designers/brands with runway shows at Paris Fashion Week S/S 2019.